لِعَيْنَيْكِfor your eyes مِنْof; from جَارَةٍa female neighbor جَائِرَهْunjust
لِعَيْنَيْكِ مِنْ جَارَةٍ جَائِرَهْ
شَقائِيmy misery وَآمَالِيand my hopes العَاثِرَهْfaltering
شَقائِي وَآمَالِي العَاثِرَهْ
To your eyes, unjust neighbor, belong
For your unfair neighbor's eyes
my misery and my faltering hopes.
My misfortunes and dashed hopes,
أَتَنْأَيْنَdo you withdraw? عَنِّيfrom me وَتَجْفِيْنَنِيand shun me
أَتَنْأَيْنَ عَنِّي وَتَجْفِيْنَنِي
لإِرْضَاءِto please طَائِفَةٍa faction مَاكِرَهُscheming
لإِرْضَاءِ طَائِفَةٍ مَاكِرَهُ
Do you withdraw from me and shun me
Do you shun me and spurn me
to please a scheming faction?
To please a scheming group?
بَرِئْنَاwe are innocent إِليbefore; to الحُبِّlove لاno ذَنْبَguilt لِيmine
بَرِئْنَا إِلي الحُبِّ لا ذَنْبَ لِي
وَلاnor لِحَبِيبَتِيfor my beloved الهَاجِرَهْthe forsaking one
وَلا لِحَبِيبَتِي الهَاجِرَهْ
We stand innocent before love: I bear no guilt,
We are innocent of love, no sin of mine
nor does my beloved, who forsakes me.
Nor of my fleeing beloved,
وَلَكِنَّهُمْand yet they عَلَّمُوهَاthey taught her الجَفَاestrangement (word begins here)
وَلَكِنَّهُمْ عَلَّمُوهَا الجَفَا
ءَcompletion of 'estrangement' وَخَطُّواand they laid out لَهَاfor her خُطَّةَthe course القَاصِرَهْthe immature girl
ءَ وَخَطُّوا لَهَا خُطَّةَ القَاصِرَهْ
But they taught her estrangement
But they taught her aloofness
and laid out for her an immature girl's course.
And plotted for her a juvenile scheme,
وَأَصْغُواand they listened إِلَىto قَوْلٍspeech وَاشٍa slanderer بِهَاabout her
وَأَصْغُوا إِلَى قَوْلٍ وَاشٍ بِهَا
وَحَاشَand far be it لَهَاfrom her أَنَّهاthat she وَازِرَهْbearing guilt
وَحَاشَ لَهَا أَنَّها وَازِرَهْ
And they listened to a slanderer's words about her,
And heeded idle gossip about her
yet far be it from her to bear guilt.
Far be it from her, she is innocent,
أَذَاكَis that? الجَبِينُthe forehead وَبِلَّوْرُهُand its crystal
أَذَاكَ الجَبِينُ وَبِلَّوْرُهُ
يُمَثِّلُreflects فِكْرَتَهَاher thought الخَاطِرَهْpassing
يُمَثِّلُ فِكْرَتَهَا الخَاطِرَهْ
Are that forehead and its crystal sheen,
Is that forehead and its sheen
reflecting her passing thought,
Where her thoughts shine?
أَتِلْكَare those? العُيُونُthe eyes وَأَنْوَارُهَاand their lights
أَتِلْكَ العُيُونُ وَأَنْوَارُهَا
مَراءٍmirrors لأَخْلاقِهاof her character البَاهِرَهْdazzling
مَراءٍ لأَخْلاقِها البَاهِرَهْ
those eyes and their lights,
Are those eyes and their lights
mirrors of her radiant character,
Rivaling her splendid morals?
أَتِلْكَare those? الشِّفَاهُthe lips وَمَاand not قَبَّلَتْkissed
أَتِلْكَ الشِّفَاهُ وَمَا قَبَّلَتْ
هَاthem (the lips) سِوَىexcept الأُمِّthe mother وَاللِّدَةِand the girl of her age الزَّائِرَهْvisiting
هَا سِوَى الأُمِّ وَاللِّدَةِ الزَّائِرَهْ
those lips, which none have kissed
Are those lips that never kissed
but her mother and a visiting girl her age,
Except a mother and visiting aunt?
أَذَاكَis that? القَوَامُthe figure وَمِنْand from حُسْنِهِits beauty
أَذَاكَ القَوَامُ وَمِنْ حُسْنِهِ
تَمِيلُbend الغُصونُthe branches لَهُbefore it صَاغِرَهْsubmissive
تَمِيلُ الغُصونُ لَهُ صَاغِرَهْ
that figure, whose beauty
makes the branches bow before it in submission,
Is that figure which swaying branches
أَتِلْكَis that? الطُّفُولَةُchildhood وَهْيَand it is سِياfence (word begins here)
أَتِلْكَ الطُّفُولَةُ وَهْيَ سِيا
جٌcompletion of 'fence' لِرَوْضٍfor a garden بِهِin it نَفْسُهَاher soul طَائِرَهْflying
جٌ لِرَوْضٍ بِهِ نَفْسُهَا طَائِرَهْ
that childhood, which is a fence
Bow to out of humility?
around a garden where her soul flies,
Is that childhood, pride of a garden
أَذَاكَis that? العفَافُchastity وَمِماand from what صَفَاis pure
أَذَاكَ العفَافُ وَمِما صَفَا
تَقَرُّfind delight بِهِin it المُقَلُthe eyes النَّاظِرَهْbeholding
تَقَرُّ بِهِ المُقَلُ النَّاظِرَهْ
that chastity, whose purity
Where her soul freely flies?
delights the beholding eyes—
Is that chastity, so immaculate
مَحاسِنcharms بَغْيٍtransgression وَأَخْلاقُand morals إِثْمٍsin
مَحاسِن بَغْيٍ وَأَخْلاقُ إِثْمٍ
وَزِينَةُand the adornment عَاطِلَةٍan idle or unadorned woman فَاجِرَهْwanton
وَزِينَةُ عَاطِلَةٍ فَاجِرَهْ
the charms of transgression and the ways of sin,
The admiring glance settles on?
and the adornment of an idle, wanton woman?
Charms of sin and morals of vice,
لَعَمْرِيby my life إِنَّهُمُindeed they اتَّهَمُوthey accused
لَعَمْرِي إِنَّهُمُ اتَّهَمُو
كِyou (feminine object) بِمَاof what فِيin نُفُوسِهِمُtheir souls الخَاسِرَهْruined
كِ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِهِمُ الخَاسِرَهْ
By my life, they have accused
Finery of an immoral woman,
you of what lies in their own ruined souls.
By my life! They accused you
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذِيthe one who عَابَfaulted مِنْكِin you السُّفُوunveiling (word begins here)
وَإِنَّ الَّذِي عَابَ مِنْكِ السُّفُو
رَcompletion of 'unveiling' كَمَنْlike one who قَالَsaid لِلشَّمْسِto the sun يَاO سَافِرَهْunveiled one
رَ كَمَنْ قَالَ لِلشَّمْسِ يَا سَافِرَهْ
And indeed, whoever faulted your unveiling
Of what festers in their losing souls,
is like one who said to the sun, 'O unveiled one!'
He who blamed your purity
وَإِنِّيand indeed I أَهْوَاكِI love you مِلْءَthe fullness of عُيُوeyes (word begins here)
وَإِنِّي أَهْوَاكِ مِلْءَ عُيُو
نِيending of 'my eyes' وَمِلْءَand the fullness of حُشَاشَتِيَmy remaining spark of life الصَّابِرهْpatient
نِي وَمِلْءَ حُشَاشَتِيَ الصَّابِرهْ
And I love you with all my eyes,
Is like one who calls the sun a wanderer,
and all the patient life that remains in me,
And I love you with all my eyes
وَمِلْءَand the fullness of الزَّمَانِtime وَمِلْءَand the fullness of المَكَاspace (word begins here)
وَمِلْءَ الزَّمَانِ وَمِلْءَ المَكَا
نِcompletion of 'space' وَدُنْيَايَand my world أَجْمَعَentirely والاخِرَهْand the hereafter
نِ وَدُنْيَايَ أَجْمَعَ والاخِرَهْ
and all of time and all of space,
And all my patient passion,
and my whole world and the hereafter.
And all of time, and all of space
فَإِنْso if يَسْتَمِلْكِdraws you إِلَيَّtoward me الهَوَىlove
فَإِنْ يَسْتَمِلْكِ إِلَيَّ الهَوَى
وَعَيْنُand the eye العفَافِchastity لَنَاfor us خَافِرَهْa guardian
وَعَيْنُ العفَافِ لَنَا خَافِرَهْ
So if love should draw you toward me,
And all my life and afterlife,
while the eye of chastity guards us,
If passion brings you back to me
أَلَيْسَis not? الهَوَىlove رُوحَthe spirit of هَذَاthis الوُجُوexistence (word begins here)
أَلَيْسَ الهَوَى رُوحَ هَذَا الوُجُو
دِcompletion of 'existence' كَمَاas شَاءَتِwilled الحِكْمَةُwisdom الفَاطِرَهْcreating
دِ كَمَا شَاءَتِ الحِكْمَةُ الفَاطِرَهْ
is love not the spirit of this existence,
And the eye of virtue keeps guard,
as creative wisdom willed?
Is not passion the spirit of existence
فَيجْتَمِعُso joins الجَوْهَرُthe particle المُسْتَدَقexceedingly fine
فَيجْتَمِعُ الجَوْهَرُ المُسْتَدَق
بِآخَرَwith another بَيْنَهُمَاbetween the two آصِرَهْa bond
بِآخَرَ بَيْنَهُمَا آصِرَهْ
Thus the minute particle joins
As the Wise Creator intended?
another, with a bond between the two;
So two essences converge
وَيَأْتَلِفُand coalesces الذَّرُّthe tiny particles وَهْوَwhile it is خَفِيٌّhidden
وَيَأْتَلِفُ الذَّرُّ وَهْوَ خَفِيٌّ
فَيَمْثلُthen it appears فِيin الصُّوَرِthe forms الظَّاهِرَهْvisible
فَيَمْثلُ فِي الصُّوَرِ الظَّاهِرَهْ
and the particles, though hidden, unite,
And bond intimately,
and so appear in visible forms.
The atom, though hidden, configures
وَيَحْتَضِنand embraces التُّرْبُthe soil حَبَّseed البِذَارsowing
وَيَحْتَضِن التُّرْبُ حَبَّ البِذَار
رِending fragment; no independent meaning فَيَرْجِعُهُthen turns it into جَنَّةًa garden زَاهِرَهْblooming
رِ فَيَرْجِعُهُ جَنَّةً زَاهِرَهْ
And the soil embraces seed for sowing,
Into visible forms,
then turns it into a blooming garden.
The soil cradles the seed
وَهَذِيand these النجُومُthe stars أَلَيْسَتْare they not? كَدرٍّlike pearls
وَهَذِي النجُومُ أَلَيْسَتْ كَدرٍّ
طَوَافٍdrifting عَلَىupon أَبْحُرٍseas زَاخِرَهْsurging
طَوَافٍ عَلَى أَبْحُرٍ زَاخِرَهْ
And these stars, are they not like pearls
And returns it a blooming garden,
drifting upon surging seas?
Are not the stars like scattered pearls
عُقُودٌnecklaces مُنَثرَةٌscattered بِانْتِظَاin order (word begins here)
عُقُودٌ مُنَثرَةٌ بِانْتِظَا
مٍcompletion of 'in order' عَلَىupon نَفْسِهَاthemselves أَبَداًforever دَائِرَهْrevolving
مٍ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا أَبَداً دَائِرَهْ
Necklaces strewn in ordered array,
Revolving forever on swelling seas,
forever revolving upon themselves;
Chains linked by love, each to its orbit
يُقَيِّدُهَاbinds them الحُبُّlove بَعْضاًsome of them وَكُand each (word begins here)
يُقَيِّدُهَا الحُبُّ بَعْضاً وَكُ
لٌّcompletion of 'each' إِلَىtoward صِنْوِهَاits twin صَائِرَهْmoving
لٌّ إِلَى صِنْوِهَا صَائِرَهْ
love binds them to one another, and each
Is bound and directed?
moves toward its twin.
O Hind! My wish, object of my passion
فَيَاso O هِنْدُHind مُنَىthe desires of مُهْجَتِيmy soul; my heart's blood
فَيَا هِنْدُ مُنَى مُهْجَتِي
ونَاهِيةand she who forbids القَلْبِthe heart والآمِرَهْand she who commands
ونَاهِية القَلْبِ والآمِرَهْ
So, Hind, desire of my soul,
And mistress of my heart and soul,
and you who forbid and command my heart,
To you I incline and you I desire
إِلَيْكِtoward you أَمِيلُI incline وَإِيَّاكِand you alone أَبْغِيI seek
إِلَيْكِ أَمِيلُ وَإِيَّاكِ أَبْغِي
بِعَاطِفَةٍwith an affection فِيin الهَوىlove قَاهِرَهْoverpowering
بِعَاطِفَةٍ فِي الهَوى قَاهِرَهْ
toward you I incline, and you alone I seek,
With an overwhelming love,
with an affection overpowering in love.
Where is the blemish they blame
وَمَاand no ثُمَّthere (in context) عَيبٌa fault نُعَابُwe are blamed بِهِfor it
وَمَا ثُمَّ عَيبٌ نُعَابُ بِهِ
مَعاذٌrefuge; far be it! صَبَابَتِنَاour ardent longing الطَّاهِرَهْpure
مَعاذٌ صَبَابَتِنَا الطَّاهِرَهْ
And there is no fault for which we can be blamed—
On our pure natural bond?
far be it from our pure longing!
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1